Six Steps
by mydoctortennant
Summary: MODERN AU; What would a modern world make of a rich man and one of his father's staff members? Winner of Second Place at agfics


_**Just when we thought Arthur Pendragon was going to be a man with a one-night-stand list as long as a piece string, it seems he has cut it short.**__ Seen on multiple occasions this week getting cosy with the same unknown – who is thought to be a worker at the young beau's family franchise - Pendragon Junior appears to have put an end to his playboy ways._

_Pictured, walking hand-in-hand to the local shops, the couple seem blissfully unaware by the passers-by. Could it be that the sole heir to one of the countries biggest corporations has found love in the form of one of us commoners?_

_A source close to Pendragon has stated that he seems happier than ever and this revelation would explain a lot towards his recent positive change in mood. As long as he's happy, we're happy for him. We just hope Pendragon Senior doesn't rain on his happy parade._

Merlin cringed. Arthur wasn't going to like it when he saw this. It wasn't as if _Heat Magazine_ was the most reliable source on the planet, but if they were going to walk around quite so publicly somebody was going to notice. He knew the pair of them were fed up of sneaking around but they could have broken the news gently. Arthur was one of the UKs most sought after bachelors. At least he had been.

Twitter feeds were buzzing with the news; one of the top trending topics being 'Arthur Pendragon'. Merlin didn't like to think what he might find regarding his two friends if he clicked it. He Googled his bosses name and sure enough the 'news' that cropped up was several 'reliable' sources that informed his all about Arthur and his new girl.

He clicked the first link and scrolled through the story – all the same as what he'd seen in the trashy magazine – and found the comments at the bottom of the page.

He cringed again.

Terms such as 'what a skank' and 'gold-digger' cropped up (more often than not in comments that were heavily mis-spelt and in need of hitting F7 on word) regarding Gwen. Ever now and again a comment would be telling people to 'lay off' and that they didn't know her (or indeed Arthur) and wishing them well.

One comment that Merlin didn't really now how to take was one that said _'Never thought Pendragon would end up with a commoner. Good on you girl, whoever you are.'_ both paying her a compliment and a discredit in one go.

Merlin brought up a new email and pasted a couple of the links into it and sent it straight to Arthur – who would no doubt get it straight away on his Blackberry wherever he was – he needed to see this.

He needed to quash all hateful things being said about his girlfriend and soon.

x

Gwen was far from the sort of girlfriend people would associate with Arthur Pendragon. She was reserved and intelligent and quietly beautiful.

In the past he'd been seen with the likes of:

_Vivian_ _Olafson_; a model and serial partier. She was a blonde bombshell and she knew it. Their whole affair had been the most public relationship since Posh and Becks but showed none of the promise of the popstar/footballer combo.

_Sophia Sidhe; _an actress.A more simplistic beauty but famously only in it for the money. Over-bearing and publicly flounced an engagement that never was.

After Sophia, Arthur had taken to keeping any and all relationships on the down-low. Most of the time they understood and respected not wanting their relationship in the limelight. There were those who 'didn't understand' his need for privacy. They always ended up being the ones that were in the game for the money, the press and the fame.

The thing with Gwen had started a long time ago; it crept up on them over a matter of years until one day it dawned on them.

She had started working for Uther Pendragon's multi-branched publishing company straight out of university. She'd started low and over the years worked up the ranks to become assistant to Morgana Le Fay – Uther Pendragon's adoptive daughter; after both her parents (who were close family friends) died in a car accident when she was ten – working on internet publishing.

She'd always known about Arthur – it was hard not to when he guilty pleasure was those trashy magazines that took such an interest in his every move – she'd known him from the day he'd hired her.

The rumours she had heard about him being a terrible and impersonal boss were ones that were quickly discarded. In her first week he'd made sure she was okay and that she had settled n to her new surroundings. After her first month she had made friends with his assistant, Merlin, and would often frequent his office in her lunch hour to catch up with him. After her first year she had worked her way into meetings that Arthur ran; during which he would ask her opinion and after which he would ask her of her more detailed opinions.

Somewhere between then and three months ago they had made the transition to full on relationship. Like Arthur, Gwen hadn't wanted her private life plastered all over the tabloids and had agreed for both their sakes that a low-key not-publicly-affectionate relationship was something they could manage.

It had been months of sneaking around. Arthur 'requiring her assistance' on certain projects that would consist of Gwen having to make sure her clothes, hair and make-up were in the same state coming out of his office as they were going in. There had been plenty of 'well timed' exits into the lifts. A couple of times there had been sneaked hotel key-cards.

Gwen could go to his apartment building (she could be visiting anyone) but he could never go to hers. Too many people had their eyes on him; all because he was a rich boy that people wanted a piece of. He'd been in the public eye for far too many years to step back now.

But they started getting careless.

Merlin figured it out not before long. If walking in on ones boss as he's macking on ones best friend hadn't been enough of a sign, Merlin didn't know what was.

He'd not said anything; he'd never betray their trust like that. Morgana was clueless but gossip in the office was starting. People noticed things in places like Pendragon Publishers. Especially when they started being unsubtle.

Their decision to no longer purposely avoid the public came when Leon made a joke at the end of one of the meetings; "God, you two just need to make out already," he'd walked off, completely missing the embarrassed smiles.

They went out for dinner; they didn't flaunt, they kept quiet, sitting in secluded corner.

They walked hand-in-hand when they left Arthur's apartment together on the way to work.

They ate their lunch together with Merlin for all the office to see.

"Somebody noticed," was all Arthur had to say when he got Merlin's email. He ignored the comments; like he had said to Gwen they should. She knew all too well what sort of things people would be saying about her; calling her a bitch, a money-grabber and a common whore.

She'd fully accepted that those comments would be coming her way and she didn't care. She was in love and she was loved. She didn't need to worry herself about what jealous, little, illiterate girls were saying about her.

"I never thought I'd be in _Heat_…" Gwen had pondered quietly.

Arthur's Blackberry flashed again. An email from his father.

"So did Dad."

x

"This is a disgrace," the elder Pendragon snapped when he appeared in his son's office later that day.

"What my being happy isn't good for your rep?" Arthur asked barely looking up fro the paperwork in front of him.

"It's not good for yours," his father replied bluntly, "Who is she?"

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters. You're in the public image."

"So you'd rather I'd be in a loveless relationship than happy?"

"I'd rather you were single than with somebody who the public will negatively judge."

"No matter who I date they'll be negatively judged. In case you didn't notice the last girl I dated because of her reputation tried to pull me down."

"As I recall."

"Why must you live in the past? People don't care about money and status these days," Arthur said as he stood from his seat. He wasn't about to let his father talk down at him.

"Those below us want what we have."

"Guinevere's not like that. She doesn't care for material things."

"I'm sure," the replied dryly. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"We've been together for three months and we were more than happy to carry on out of the public knowledge. But you know what? It's hard. I'm followed all the time. Having a private life living in the public eye isn't easy. It was okay for you. You were already married when you thrust your family into the limelight. I didn't ask for this. All I ask is that you accept that I want to be happy."

"I want you to be happy, but I don't want you to make a fool out of yourself. Soon you'll realise what she is like and you'll look like a fool," Uther replied coolly as he leant his clench fists on Arthur's desk.

"No I won't. What will it take for you to see that?"

"Prove to me that she'd stay with you even when you don't have money, don't have a high-end apartment or a good car."

"Fine. If you want it that way, you can find a new CEO."

"Don't be so melodramatic."

"It seems that is the only way to make you pay attention to me. You want proof that she loves me for more than money? How about I prove to you that I love her enough to drop all of the things you've given me? Have your money. Have you apartment and your fancy car. I don't need it."

"Don't be so ridiculous, Arthur."

"I don't need it. I don't need you. All I need is her."

"Oh, please, Arthur, don't be so childish."

Arthur took his wallet out of his pocket and pulled out his ID security pass for the office and threw it down on the table, "I quit," he pulled out his credit cards and repeated the action, "I'll keep what I've earned for myself," he said as he thumbed his debit card, "The rest is yours," he completed the pile of cards with his door and car keys before he turned on his heel and left.

x

_**Uther Pendragon started the search for a new CEO of Pendragon Publishing today as he announced via a press release stating that his son is moving on to new pastures.**__ Arthur Pendragon was seen today emerging from a apartment block in West London that is far from the lap of luxury that his Knightsbridge home provides him with._

_Spotted in the local supermarket with his current girlfriend Guinevere Leodegrance, Pendragon is rumoured to have left the company on bad terms with his father and is now seeking his own path to start his own life separate from the Pendragon franchise._

_We think it is safe to say that his playboy days are over as things seem to be headed in a more serious direction, "We'll all happy for Arthur and Gwen here at the company and we'll be sad to see him go," a source at the company provided, "There's not a soul more deserving of love an happiness than Gwen and if she finds it in him good on her. We wish them the best of luck."_

_Girls will be devastated to know that it looks as if Pendragon is well and truly off the market._

This time Merlin read the comments on the article through his fingers. He didn't like the idea of people rubbishing his friend, but when he started to read them he was pleasantly surprised, '_If he's left what he knows for her it must be serious. All the best.' 'Must be love. We'll see.'_ the most unpleasant of the comments was, '_I hope she knows what she's in for. He'll hurt her.' _which was something of a concern to Merlin himself.

But Arthur had given up everything to be with her. Surely that proved something?

x

"Look!" Arthur declared as Gwen sat on her kitchen counter with her phone in her hand ready to call the local Chinese delivery, "I can walk from one end of your apartment to the other in six steps!" he showcased his new found amusement to her as the phone rang in her ear.

"You are striding quite wide," she laughed as the man on the other end of the line picked up, "Hi Mr Cheng, it's Gwen," Arthur watched her smile at the phone, the man on the other end obviously recognising her from many ordered in Chinese takeouts, "Yeah, the usual. Plus an extra eight and a-"

"Twelve!"

"And a twelve," Arthur took his six exaggerated steps back to stand in front of her, "He is, yes," she laughed again. She reached out with her spare hand and started to fiddle with the bottom of his shirt, "I'll let him know. See you soon," she hung up and placed the phone on the kitchen counter next to her.

"He said you have to eat your own food. He doesn't want me starving," she lied. The old man had warned her about his womanising ways and said that he'd seen them in the tabloid. She'd had every urge to tell him to ignore what he read, but ignoring it altogether worked better for her.

"Has he seen the amount of food you put away?" Lunch had pretty much been three cheese sandwiches (two slices of bread each, then halved), two packets of crisps and three different chocolate bars.

"He worries."

"I guess somebody should."

x

_**That's it girls, we're well and truly out of luck.**_

_Arthur Pendragon was seen today with his girlfriend looking into the window of a local florist. With her right hand in his left it was plain to see a diamond ring peaking out from underneath her cardigan sleeve as she pointed to some of the shops content._

_A source has stated that recently 'broke' Pendragon has been frequenting the same suit retailer for fittings which sparked the rumours that perhaps a wedding was on the cards for the young couple. This new piece of evidence seems to more than support the tales so listen out for those wedding bells coming soon._

_We wish them all the best._


End file.
